Your friend's Yaris/Scion/insert generic econobox here did not beat a 400-600HP Mustang GT S197 in autocross unless A) It was HIGHLY modified. And I'm emphasizing HIGHLY and the Stangs had near stock suspension or B) Your friend was driving against disabled people. Vids, stats, or BS.

V8s always have been and always will be less effecient than 4-cyls. Its a matter of physics. But who cares about efficiency? If you're buying a car for power then your super efficient 100HP still isn't jack. But, I personally don't buy my DD for power, so thats kinda a moot point with me.

And yeah, an S197 Mustang will outhandle the Yaris; the S197 chasis is turn-friendly, unlike some of the older years. Again, vids, stats, or BS.

Space...space is very important for me in a DD, and I don't see the yaris having mroe cabin room than a Mustang. But hey, I could be wrong about this, I've never looked up the stats of a Yaris.

Looks, yeah, I can't argue looks with you. Some people like the econobox look. Thats their thing. Some people like the sports car look, thats their thing. Some people want a hoopty, and thats my thing.

By the way, in case you were wondering, the similarities between my Mustang and a stock 1986 Mustang GT stop at the title, and its not my DD. I'm not a fan of either of the cars for a DD.

 

I'll take a look at the site. And I wasn't the one who started the debate between the two cars. You were the one who said that the Yaris is a better car, and that just isn't true. The 350z? A MUCH better car than the Mustang GT. I'd own the 350Z in a heartbeat (the model with the softer suspension, screw that stiff suspension nonsense on the roads). I mean really, the step from Mustang to 350z is like the step from Yaris to Mustang. Its just a superior vehicle.

And hoopty means a big luxury car that rides like glass and has all the fixings. Huge, comfy, and just all around a pleasure to drive as long as you aren't trying to be Mario Andretti or parallel park.

And we are talking about DDs here. I'd rather have a Mustang for a DD, but I'd really prefer not to have either car for a DD.

 

Honestly, if this is how you feel, why are you even reading the "Green Motoring" forum?

WE care about efficiency. If you don't... there are other forums that are more appropriate to your point of view.

Do you see us going over to the Drag Racing forum and bitching because all the 12-second cars there can't get 15 mpg? Think about it, man... you're being a bit a of a troll here, aren't you?

 

well this has gotten way off topic and as much fun as I have had with the debate I think it is best that we not continue on.

 

You guys really like taking stuff right out of context to attack it and make an otherwise wrong point, don't you? That statement was referring to if you're buying a car for power, who cares about efficiency when efficiency means your 1.3L (random figure) motor makes a whopping 100HP.

And I didn't come in here to argue about which car is cooler, but I'm sorry if it catches me a little off guard when someone says some Yaris is a better vehicle than a Mustang. I came in here to tell you that what you're doing, while great for your fuel economy, is bad for your engine and undoubtedly other parts of your car as well, and that 300 bucks you saved during the year really doesn't sound that great when its accompanied by the sound of a rod bearing going to hell.

 

Not wanting to argue with you because you seem pretty set in your ways, I never pressed that issue, but since no one else is asking... what exactly do you think I'm doing that's harming my engine and why?

You said yourself that my engine barely makes 100 hp, and that's true... it makes 106 hp at about 5500 rpm. That means about 40-50 hp max hp in the sub-3,000 rpm range that I'm talking about "hypermiling" in. Worst case, I'm "almost" lugging the engine (I know what lugging feels like, and I'm not going there, I'm not straining the engine in any way) at 1500-2500 rpm in 5th gear. The engine management system is sophisticated enough to adjust the valve timing and the ignition timing to handle this without issue. I get smooth, though slow, acceleration from 1500 rpm in 5th gear.

Now, if I tried to dip lower in the RPMs to say 1000-1200, THEN the car would protest and if I made a habit of doing that, I absolutely agree that I could do some damage.

 

it also has to do with throttle input, i'm sure Loren is smart enough not to go WOT at 1500RPM. and i wouldn't worry about bearings so much as i would worry about the clutch anyways.

but BAMF you have to remember that some people don't like the crap you like. i wouldn't be caught dead in a mustang, since i don't like a car that IMO isn't built as well as my 19 year old honda. so don't go saying that a mustang or a buick or whatever american "luxury" or "performance" car is better then a small import as fact. that is NOT a fact, that is opinion.

Loren if you had to guess, about what percent throttle do you use on acceleration?

 

Normally, if I'm not hypermiling, I'd never be accelerating from 30 mph in 5th gear, anyway. It would be 2nd or 3rd with as much throttle as I felt like and then drop into 5th when I reach cruising altitude.

Typical hypermiling, I'm dropping into 5th at about 35 and feathering the throttle to accelerate up to the speed limit using as little fuel as possible.

For THIS experiment, I've been playing with getting into 5th even earlier (30 mph) and giving the car more throttle. No, not full-throttle (not because I think it would hurt the car, but because it would go open-loop and run rich), but somewhere between half and 3/4.

 

^what tire percentage of the maximum recommended pressure is ideal to run for effiecient fuel/ mileage ratio taken into account tire wear?

 

Depends on who you ask. Apparently, studies have been made by law enforcement agencies that indicate you should run the maximum sidewall pressure for best efficiency and performance. (of course, those of us who know more about handling performance know that isn't necessarily so, but it's probably better than running the factory pressures) Hypermilers will tell you to run more than that, up to 50 or 60 psi, and that they've been doing it for years without issue. And, of course, the vehicle manufacturer is going to tell you something completely different.

If you're really out for max fuel economy, I wouldn't hesitate to run max sidewall pressure and just watch for any signs of excess wear in the center of the tread. Much depends on the tire... and on the vehicle.